The One Who Lost Her Way
by vickienna
Summary: So this is just a quickly thought up fic with my OC and Lee. I posted The One Who Found Her Way, The Verdict, and A Trip to the Sand about this character/pairing :) THE STORY CONTINUES WITH MAYOU MEETING HER NEW SENSEI. GO TO AUTHOR hareonaxx PROFILE AND READ 'SENSEI' NOW!
1. The girl in the woods

‟…san, shi, go, roku… ˮ, Lee counted. ‟If I don't do 400 punches, then I'll do 500 kicks ˮ, he said determined. He continued until the sun was at its highest point in the sky.

‟Shi-hyaku ˮ, he announced out loud, after successfully hitting 400 punches.

 _I better get back to the village_ , he thought. _Gai-Sensei will be waiting on me for lunch_. Lee had been practicing his taijutsu extensively this past week. Gai had been gone on an important mission for the Hokage. He couldn't tell his three students anything about it. Gai had told Lee, specifically, that he would be back in one week. The bond between the master and Lee was nothing compared to what his other two comrades had. Today was the day his beloved sensei would finally return. Lee was excited to show his teacher the progress he had managed to make in that short amount of time.

Lee lightly jogged back towards the gates of Konoha, not wanting to seem too tired after only half a day of training. As he approached the village, he couldn't help but stop to catch his breath. 400 punches were tiring, after all. Besides, there was no one there to see him panting. Lee worked hard to be recognized by the villagers. Especially Neji. He was a genius on his team, from the Hyuuga clan. Neji would always remind Lee that a genius would always beat him, no matter how much hard work he put into his training. But ever since Gai-Sensei had recognized him, Lee was always determined to master taijutsu no matter what it took.

Lost in his thoughts, Lee almost didn't notice that he wasn't alone. About 20 feet left of him, was a clearing. And that clearing wasn't empty. Lee could hear someone kicking at what sounded like a tree. As quietly as he could, he approached the scene cautiously. A Konoha ninja could never leave his guard down, not even so close to the village. Camouflaged by the thick foliage, in between branches, Lee got as close to the vacant spot in the forest to observe the scene from above.

Below was a young girl, about 13, kicking and punching a tree stump. She spun around it, her shoulder length, light brown hair moving with her, carefully attacking the dead organism with her fists and feet. Despite her short height and curvy figure (regardless of her young age), she was fast. Lee watched, breathless, as she slowly cut at the bark with her sharp hits, not flinching as her knuckles turned bright red.

Mayou had come across this clearing about a week ago now. It was the perfect spot to practice her fighting. It was a wide area, with lots of light from the lack of tree branches above, and it conveniently had an old tree stump almost right at the middle of the clearing. It seemed almost too good to be true. As soon as she found the place, she internally claimed it as her own. Of course, she had no idea how close to civilisation she was. The grand village of Konoha was just a few kilometers away. Having been orphaned at a young age, raised on her own and always on the run, Mayou wasn't aware of the country of Fire's geography. Nonetheless, she managed to survive going from small town to small town. She avoided people as much as she could, especially ninjas, who she had seen rush through the forest often. She always managed to hide and conceal her presence.

‟Hmm ˮ, she'd mutter to herself, _ninjas mustn't be too great if they never perceive me when I'm so close by_.

After she felt that the stump had suffered enough hacking, Mayou decided to stop her training exercises for the day. She looked down at her throbbing fists and saw the warm blood seeping through her broken knuckles. Ugh, she groaned, bringing her right fist to her mouth. She ran off towards the place where she had hid her scarce belongings a few hours earlier. She never slept in the same place, fearing being discovered. That night, she nestled in her only blanket under a large tree, just as she liked it. The sky was clear and the stars were visible through the thick set of leaves above. This time of year wasn't too cold at night, so she didn't have to waste money on paying for an inn to sleep at. That night she slept uneasily though, feeling as though she was being watched.

The next day, after eating some fruit she had gathered, Mayou headed towards her designated training spot. She carefully hid her pack and made her way towards the clearing. When she arrived, she automatically sensed that something was off balance. As she approached the tree stump, she saw something lying right below it. When she got close enough, she bent down to see a pile of white bandages neatly placed on the grass next to the tree.


	2. KO

It had been a week since Lee had seen the girl in the clearing. Every day, he would go back in hopes of seeing her, but he always returned to the village disappointed. The bandages weren't there though, so he knew that at least someone had been there. As he approached the gates of Konoha, he could distinguish a tall and green silhouette standing right at the entrance. Lee had been avoiding Gai-sensei. He told Tenten and Neji, his team members that he wanted to train alone for a while. The Hyuuga didn't make much of it, and the girl frowned but didn't question her team member about his reasons. However, it wasn't that easy with his sensei. Lee would wake up right before the sun would rise and leave the village soon after.

When he would return, if he came across Gai, he would just say: ‟Gomenasai sensei, I went training early today again. I have to take advantage of my youth ˮ. Lee would smile until Gai-sensei would ruffle his hair and dismiss him. However, as he advanced towards the grand village's gates, the student knew it wouldn't be an easy apology this time.

‟Gomenas- ˮ, Lee started, but got cut off by his teacher.

‟Lee! I have been more than patient with you. I understand if you want to train alone from now on, but don't try to evade me. No one tricks the green beast of Konoha. Not even his beloved pupil Lee-San ˮ. Lee frowned, and looked down. He didn't want to upset the man who had recognized him. But, he didn't want to Gai to think that this girl was a distraction. Lee did train… after his excursion in the woods. After giving it quick thought, Lee did admit that the mysterious girl was a hindrance to his training. Lee looked up to see a smiling Gai.

‟Tell you what, he said, I'll treat you for lunch and then we can go practice our taijutsu afterwards ˮ.

‟Hai ˮ, answered the determined student.

Mayou cursed,‟ Kuso ˮ! _I hate this place._ She was surrounded by heavy vegetation, with barely any sunlight passing through the trees. Ever since that day she discovered the bandages, Mayou hadn't returned to her newly-found training spot.

 _Someone was watching me._ She considered this with a mix of anger and anxiety.

 _How did I not sense their presence_ , she thought with frustration.

 _And how long were they there? Long enough to notice my hands,_ she deliberated. She stared at her bare knuckles, which were heavily damaged. She stared in the direction of her pack, were she had stored the bandages. She sighed, and shook her head.

 _I've never needed help. I won't let this stranger dictate my need for care._ She couldn't help but have a faint smile, though; as she considered the fact that the person was probably a kind soul, if they were willing to give a stranger some aid. Being an orphan, Mayou never had anyone look after her. The independent girl had learned all she knew through experience. Practising taijutsu was not a hobby, but her only way of survival. She did not always find odd jobs and was forced to steal for food. For that, she had to be quick and good with her fists. With time, she developed her own techniques and managed to move her body quite well, despite her lack of education on the subject.

 _What are ninjas anyway,_ she thought, _they're all just glorified soldiers. All brainwashed to fight for a country they have no real meaning to. I could take them on any day._ She smiled picturing herself standing head high, with a pile of knocked-out bodies below her.

 _It is decided, if I get ambushed, I'll be ready to fight._ She carefully hid her pack and resolutely headed towards the clearing she loved to train at.

Lee and his sensei had been at it for hours, when Gai's stomach made a rumbling sound.

‟Ha! Lee, it looks like even a skilled ninja cannot compete with an empty stomach ˮ, he laughed. Lee smiled.

‟No problem sensei, but I am not hungry yet. I'll keep training for another hour and get back to the village right after ˮ.

‟That's my subordinate ˮ, said the sensei, proudly. ‟Jaa ne Lee ˮ, he said disappearing.

Lee decided to go for a jog as his final exercise of the day. His main skill was taijutsu, but there's no harm working on cardio once in a while. Also, at the back of his mind, he wanted to find an excuse to pass by the clearing, just in case. Not too shortly after, he arrived at his destination. He nearly yelled out when he saw the young girl at the center of the open field.

 _Not too fast, Lee, you can never let the enemy see you when you're on a spying mission,_ he thought to himself. But this was no mission, and that girl did not look like an enemy. Tsunade-Sama had warned all the Genins to be careful in the forest. They weren't fully aware of how many men Orochimaru had roaming around Konoha. Lee was supposed to be cautious, but he couldn't help but be fascinated by this girl. He got as close as he could, camouflaging himself in the trees.

Lee didn't really keep track of time as he observed the girl. Each strike was precise, but he could tell her technique wasn't something she had been taught. Nonetheless, he was impressed by her speed and accuracy. He cringed at the sound of every punch, and tried hard to keep his balance when he saw the blood oozing through her split knuckles.

 _Why isn't she wearing the bandages, I'm sure it was her who found them._ Deep in his thoughts, the boy hadn't noticed that the small branch he was leaning on started to crack. Suddenly, he fell forward, but was caught by his forehead protector, which he wore around his waist. It got caught in another branch and secured his position. Hanging upside down, he opened his eyes and stared wide-eyed at the pair of golden- brown eyes a few centimeters away from his.

Mayou nearly shrieked as the face of a boy unexpectedly appeared in front of her. She jumped backwards and barely took the time to blink before she punched the boy in the face as hard as she could. The boy's body immediately went limp at the impact of her fist. She studied the scene carefully before she decided it would be more humane to un-hang his body from the tree. She laid the boy down on the ground next to the dead tree and looked him over. His outfit was extremely strange. She put down the red piece of fabric that had tied him to the branch on his chest. She saw the engraved logo of a leaf on a metal plate that was attached to the center. Mayou immediately realized that this boy was a ninja. She giggled, remembering her thought from earlier that day.

Her eyes trailed down towards his hands and she saw how they were carefully wrapped in thin white bandages, like the ones she had found near the tree stump a week prior. She didn't want to stay too long, in case her KO wasn't effective. As she rushed back to the place she had hid her pack, she grinned.

 _Unique…_ she thought, _but kinda cute._


	3. Proper Introductions

Mayou was restless all night. She didn't feel bad for what she had done.

 _I mean, I did at least get him down, and he was the one spying on me_ , she thought. Nonetheless, the pit in her stomach just wouldn't go away. She remembered how hard she had hit the boy's face. So much that it was an instant knockout. She looked up at the leaves trying to see something unusual, but there was no one there. In the distance she could hear some rummaging through the forest, and the occasional scream. She couldn't distinguish exactly what was being said, but it was always the same long yell. Perhaps, a name being called. She wasn't quite tired, but the sun had set and there wasn't much to do in the dark but sleep. She clenched and unclenched her fists, which she had bandaged that evening. She was stubborn about accepting help from strangers, but it was the least she could do to ensure that her wounds wouldn't get infected. She closed her eyes for the last time that night, hoping to get some sleep despite the constant noises in the air.

When Lee hadn't returned from his training after an hour, Gai had gotten worried really fast. He rushed to Tsunade right away. As he approached her office, Shizune greeted him, but warned him that it wasn't the right time to bother Tsunade.

‟But Lee has gone missing! ˮ, the enthusiastic sensei insisted with a worried look.

‟Alright, I'll see what I can do ˮ, answered Shizune. She entered the Hokage's office and immediately came out, waving him forward.

‟What happened? ˮ, Tsunade said as Gai entered. Gai explained how they had been training that afternoon and how he promised to return to the village after one hour and he hadn't retuned. He omitted the part about Lee's strange behaviour from that past week.

‟Maybe he's just late ˮ, suggested the Sannin.

‟No, Lee never is late! ˮ, exclaimed Gai.

‟Alright, do you want me to gather a search party? ˮ, asked the blonde woman.

‟YES yes yes, please Tsuade-sama! ˮ, said the sensei practically in tears.

‟Shizune ˮ, she exclaimed in a sharp tone, ‟get Hyuuga Neji and Tenten ˮ.

‟Hai! ˮ, the black haired women cried out as she hurried out.

‟But Tsunade-sama, shouldn't we get Kakashi with his pack of dogs or something ˮ, said Gai pleadingly.

‟The Hyuuga are known for their skills in scanning territory with their Byakugan, Gai, I think Neji will be able to fulfill that job perfectlyˮ, said the Hokage, ‟and Tenten is part of your team, so she should go too ˮ. As soon as she said those words, Gai's students entered through the door.

‟So Lee managed to get himself in trouble ˮ, said the Hyuuga with a smug look.

‟Neji! ˮ, said Tenten giving him a disapproving look. She knew how much their sensei cared for their teammate Lee.

‟We will do our best on this mission Tsunade-sama ˮ, said the girl to the Hokage. Tsunade noded, dismissing the trio.

Lee blinked a few times before he fully opened his eyes.

 _Where am I_ , he wondered as he sat up. He scanned his surroundings, recalling the events that led him to be in his position. His left hand rushed to his face as he sensed a pulsing sensation near his eye. In a fight, it was rare that he sustained major injuries, but he had been caught off guard in that moment. He blushed remembering how he come face to face with the girl he couldn't keep his mind off of since he saw her. Suddenly, he heard some yelling coming not too far from where he was. He stood up, stumbling, trying to keep his balance. He was a bit dizzy from the blow. He saw Tenten, Neji and Gai emerge from the trees and enter the clearing.

‟Lee! ˮ, exclaimed his sensei as he saw him. He couldn't help but rush to his student and wrap his hands around him.

‟Gai-sensei ˮ, said the dazed student, ‟Neji, Tenten. What are you doing here? ˮ

‟What do you mean, Lee ˮ, exclaimed the girl in his team, "We were getting worried about you.ˮ

‟Worried…ˮ, Lee muttered, looking in the direction of Neji, his rival. The Hyuuga stayed at the edge of the clearing in silence.

‟He used his Byakugan to find you ˮ, said Tenten, ‟after Gai-sensei requested Tsu- ˮ.

‟That's enough, Tenten ˮ, interrupted the sensei, ‟Lee is safe, that's all that matters ˮ, he said turning away. ‟Let's head back to the village ˮ.

‟We will drop you off at the hospital ˮ, said Tenten. ‟You need to get that eye checked. What happened exactly? Was it an enemy? ˮ, she asked, worried.

‟No, um.. I fell ˮ, muttered Lee.

‟Hmm ˮ, smirked the Hyuuga. Lee didn't even think his rival had been paying attention. But he was there taking in every interaction between his teammates and sensei. He immediately regretted being in such pitiful condition in front of him.

‟Let's go ˮ, exclaimed Gai.

‟Hai! ˮ, said the three students, and they headed towards Konoha.

Lee's stay at the hospital was a short one. All he needed was to put ice a few times a day and the bruise would eventually go away, but the nurses wanted to keep him in one day for observation. He said he didn't remember the details of the accident, so they wanted to keep him in case there was a concussion. His friends Sakura and Naruto came to visit him in the morning.

‟Fuzzy eyebrows, you look bad ˮ, said the blue-eyed boy, laughing.

‟Naruto! ˮ, yelled Sakura, punching her comrade in the arm.

‟Ow ˮ, said the boy, rubbing his arm, brooding.

‟It's ok, Sakura-san ˮ, said Lee smiling, ‟Arigato ˮ. The pink-haired girl smiled. The duo left a few minutes later and Lee was left alone. He didn't stay in the hospital room for long. He had one thing on his mind, seeing the girl in the clearing again. He didn't want her to think he was weak, or worse, a pervert. He headed in the woods and approached the clearing. Sure enough there was the girl, but she wasn't training as usual. Instead, she was sitting on the stump, looking pensive. Lee quietly went in the trees.

The girl stood abruptly and said, ‟I know you're here. This time, you can't hide and surprise me ˮ, she snapped. Lee decided to give it a go and jumped in front of her, but far enough so he wasn't too close. Even though she had just said he wouldn't surprise her, she still flinched when he made contact with the ground. There were a few seconds of staring, without any of them saying anything. Lee decided to be a gentleman.

He extended his right arm and said, ‟Hi my name is Lee ˮ.

The girl slapped his arm away. ‟I don't care what your name is. You better leave me alone. If I ever see you here again, I'll give you more than a black eye ˮ, she said looking right at him.

‟I-I wasn't going to hurt you ˮ, Lee said stuttering. ‟See, I'm a ninja ˮ. He motioned towards the forehead protector he tied around his waist.

‟That's why I don't trust you ˮ, she said angrily. ‟You ninjas always want to help people, and don't take into consideration if people want to be helped! ˮ

Lee was taken aback by that statement, especially since he noticed she was wearing the bandages around her hands. The girl probably noticed where he was looking because she started tugging at the fabric, loosening the grip the strips had on her skin.

‟I guess I should thank you for these ˮ, she said sharply,‟ if it's you who placed them here ˮ. Lee just nodded, not looking in her eyes.

‟Well, arigato then ˮ, she said in a gentler tone. He looked up and saw that she didn't look so angry anymore, but he still didn't try saying anything to her.

Mayou was starting to realize that she had been a bit rude. Human interactions weren't her forte. She looked down at the bandages again and back at the boy. He said his name was Lee.

‟Um, I'd like to continue my training now, if you don't mind ˮ, she declared.

Lee looked up and smiled, ‟I should get back to my training as well.ˮ

‟Yeah ˮ, she muttered, ‟go practice your fancy ninja techniques ˮ, she said harshly. The boy immediately looked down.

‟What ˮ, she snapped, ‟isn't it what you ninjas do? ˮ

‟I, um… train in taijutsu ˮ, said Lee looking at the girl. Mayou then realized that the boy was probably looking at her because he was watching her train.

‟Oh ˮ, the girl said. ‟If you want, you can maybe… ˮ She hesitated finishing her sentence. She had never let her guard down with anyone. In fact, Mayou never even had a real friend.

‟Yes? ˮ, said Lee, waiting for her to finish her sentence.

‟Maybe… you can… um, help me with my techniques ˮ, she finished. She saw the boy's face light up at her words.

‟Hai! ˮ, he exclaimed joyfully.

‟Oh, by the way ˮ, she said,‟ my name is Mayou ˮ.


	4. The Storm

‟So half your body got crushed? ˮ, asked the young girl wide-eyed. Her new friend was recalling the events of the Chunin exam a few months prior, when he had been severely injured by his opponent.

‟Wait, but if that's true, how are you even able to move nowˮ, she asked, skeptical, ‟your left arm and leg were broken, weren't they ˮ. Lee tried not to cringe. Losing two of his limbs meant he couldn't be a ninja, which was his main goal in life. He wanted to prove that even with taijutsu as his only ability, he could be a great ninja and serve Konoha like all his peers.

‟Tsunade-sama, Konoha's Hokage, is the best medical ninja there is. She was able to fix me ˮ, he grinned. Mayou had a perplexed look on her face; she didn't quite comprehend the dynamics of all the ninja levels. She knew that there was a top ninja, and all the others under that, but she didn't want to bother herself with learning all the skills each level involved. Besides, being a ninja was not part of her life plan at all. That thought got her thinking, what was her life's goal? She listened to her new friend Lee's story about how he wanted to be recognized as a ninja, even without ninjutsu or genjutsu. He even told her about a young boy who swore he would be the Hokage one day. It seemed to her like everyone had a path, except her. All her life, all she did was survive. She never gave thought into her future. Her present was what was important; each day was about getting to the next day alive.

Mayou didn't remember her parents. She knew that there was an incident in her home village as a child, and that she's the only one who survived from her nuclear family. A vague memory of bursting flames got her teary eyed. It wasn't something she liked to think about. As a child, it was easier. The people in her village each chipped in so the infant wouldn't starve to death. However, as she reached adolescence, she got ignored and had to fend for herself. She enjoyed the freedom of living on her own. Every day was an adventure. But as she got older, her feelings caught up to her, and she got lonely. She didn't push people away consciously; she just never really learned how to make a friend. She and Lee had been training together for three days now. Each day, he'd come meet her at the clearing. Sometimes he would bring a snack. She particularly liked Dango. The sweet dumplings tasted so much better than the food she usually took from garbage behind houses in small villages. Lee even brought her replacement bandages. The repetitive punching of trees with her bare fists had greatly damaged her knuckles over the years. The redness clashed on her pale white skin.

‟You should've put on the ones I gave you that first time ˮ, Lee joked, as he helped her wrap the fabric around her hands. She did notice a hint of sadness in his eyes as he carefully maneuvered the bandages.

‟Lee-san… ˮ, started Mayou hesitantly.

‟Hm? ˮ, the boy looked at the girl.

‟I don't think we should train together anymore... ˮ, she muttered.

‟Nanda? Nande? ˮ, he replied, taken aback.

‟Gomen… ˮ, she said looking away. She clearly saw that Lee's feelings were hurt. He was staring at her, probably awaiting an explanation to her sudden confession.

‟I'm not quite familiar with the whole friendship thing ˮ, she started, ‟but I am sure that it requires some sort of give and take… ˮ

‟I don't understand ˮ, said the boy puzzled.

‟Well, you've just been so nice to me. You know, with the bandages, and sweets. I haven't given you anything but a black eye ˮ, she said looking down.

Lee felt a pit at the bottom of his stomach. He knew that Mayou would be out of his life one day. He was going to be a ninja, going on missions. He lived in a big village. She slept in the woods and travelled around. His logical mind told him this, but for some reason, he couldn't picture himself letting her go. He had grown fond of the girl. He understood what that meant. He had once developed a crush on Sakura, a girl one year his junior. They were now friends. However, his feelings for Mayou weren't the same. Ever since he had laid eyes on her, all he could think about was her. She even had him lying to Gai-sensei so he could keep her presence in his life secret, which before meeting her would've been unconceivable. Now that she had rejected him, his problem was solved, right? But still, the bad feeling was lingering.

‟Mayou-san… ˮ, he muttered, looking at her with a mix of sadness and confusion in his eyes.

‟No, Lee, I can't ˮ, she said abruptly. ‟I'm just a burden. You will be a ninja, and what am I: a thug. You shouldn't even associate with me, let alone be so nice to me. I'm sorry, but this is goodbye ˮ. She reached over and quickly hugged the boy, as he stood in silence. She then let go, gave him a last look, and ran off. Lee was left alone with the dead tree keeping him company. The whole exchange happened so fast. He suddenly felt anger rush through him.

 _Why am I so stupid?!_ , he raged inwardly. _I just stood there, and now she's gone…_ He stared at the spot where she had vanished through the trees for what seemed like a few minutes. He felt something wet on his face, but didn't move. The rain slowly started to seep through the thick foliage above, and rapidly came to a downpour.

That night, Lee couldn't sleep. Partly due to the heavy rain hitting the roof, windows, and ground outside. The racket piled on to the heavy thoughts in his head. The events from that afternoon left him with a disheartened feeling. His room was suddenly filled by a bright flash of light. The thunder roared and more light filled the sky. A huge storm was passing over the Country of Fire. Lee moved out of bed and towards his window. He wasn't getting any sleep, so he figured he might as well observe the electricity moving through the sky. Suddenly, two Jonins appeared below his window. He couldn't distinguish the identity of the figures because of the heavy rain, but their voices managed to reach his ear.

‟The Hokage has called any available Jonins to order ˮ, said the tallest figure on the right, from the voice, the genin could tell that the figure was a man.

‟The storm has caused quite the amount of damage in the forest ˮ, he continued. Lee's bushy eyebrows rose at that statement.

The shorter Jonin on the right replied, ‟What type of damage are we talking about here? ˮ (Lee noted that the one on the left was a female ninja).

‟Tsunade-sama said that the reconnaissance squad reported many cases of fallen trees. The lighting is not forgiving, a forest fire started north-east of the village ˮ. Lee thought that these directions sounded familiar. North-east was the approximate location of the clearing. Mayou had admitted to him that she never camped too far from there, since she went there every day. She didn't like to sleep in an open space, in fear of being discovered. Lee immediately panicked. Mayou was still in the forest! Exactly where the Jonins described that the fire was. His heart started beating really fast. If anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself. He was out in the rain instantly. He speeded past the Jonins that were still discussing outside his window. He heard them call after him, but he didn't look back. No one knew about Mayou, and by the time he explained the situation to someone, it might be too late.

 _No!_ , he told himself. _She's fine._ But he couldn't shake the worried feeling from his mind. _Please let her be fine…_ he thought, hopeful.

As he approached the area with the clearing, he could feel the heat in the air. Despite the heavy rain, a huge fire was burning that section of the forest. The rough terrain from the multiple fallen trees slowed the boy down, but he pushed himself towards the core of the flames.

‟Mayou! ˮ, he yelled, rushing through the forest without any distinct destination. He called his friend's name over and over, but couldn't hear much over the sound of the rain and the crackling of the flames. Finally, he caught a glimpse of thin, white fabric flying in the wind.

‟Mayou? ˮ, he tried. He heard a faint moan coming from behind a fallen trunk.

‟Kuso! ˮ, he said under his breath. ‟Mayou! ˮ

‟Lee? ˮ, he heard. The genin reached the place where the voice came from and took in the scene. Half of the girl's body was crushed under the body of the fallen tree. One of her arms was free, it rested over the trunk, but the other was beneath the trunk.

‟I.. I'm.. stuck... ˮ, she managed to let out with little energy.

‟I'll get you out of here! ˮ, he yelled out. The girl looked at her friend, who she thought she'd never see again, as he lifted the trunk from her limp body with incredible strength. The pain from her broken arm and ribs was too much to handle. The last thing she saw as her eyes shut was Lee's green uniform.

After he pushed the trunk aside, he looked towards Mayou. Lee saw her lose consciousness.

‟No! Mayou! Stay with me! ˮ, he shouted, but it was too late. He approached his ear to her mouth and felt some breathing, but it was weak. He picked up the girl's body in his arms, carefully putting her broken arm over her chest, and headed towards Konoha.


	5. Konoha Hospital

It didn't take Lee long to reach Konoha hospital. The instant he barged through the doors, carrying Mayou in his arms, nurses rushed towards him to assess the situation.

‟She's hurt ˮ, said the boy. ‟Her arm is broken ˮ.

‟We will go find a medical ninja right away Lee-san ˮ, replied one of the nurses. The boy had spent quite an amount of time in the hospital after the events of the Chunin exam; the staff easily recognized the 13 year old Genin. The nurses brought over a stretcher and looked at the boy, expecting him to put the girl down. However, he stood clutching her in his arms, looking down at her face. Instead of insisting, one nurse motioned him towards an available unit.

‟You can place her here ˮ, she said motioning towards the hospital bed in the room. The boy did what was expected of him, but didn't leave the room. A few minutes had passed when Lee saw Tsunade, the fifth Hokage herself, enter the room.

‟When I heard that Lee was in the hospital ˮ, she said, ‟this is not what I expected ˮ. She approached the boy, ‟What you did was extremely dangerous, going out in the storm like that ˮ, she scolded him. Lee looked down; he did not like to disappoint those who he looked up to.

‟However, your actions probably saved this girl's life. She's not from Konoha, how do you know her? ˮ, the woman questioned him.

She continued, ‟You know what, we will talk about this later, I have to tend to this girl right away ˮ. Lee stood looking towards his friend. Tsunade observed the way he looked at her.

‟Lee, you have to step out now ˮ, she told him. The boy looked hesitant, but nodded. Before he got out the door, he turned towards his friend one last time with a worried look in his eyes.

‟Lee, you can trust me, I will do whatever I can to fix her ˮ, reassured the Hokage. Lee knew that it was thanks to the fifth that he was healed and could keep being a ninja. He exited the room, hoping that everything would be alright.

Lee did not return to his quarters. He stayed up all night in the hospital waiting room, but no one from the medical team came to see him about Mayou. In the morning, he opened his eyes, realizing that he had dozed off. He stood abruptly, about to run towards the unit where Mayou had been placed the night before, when a strong arm stopped him. He turned towards its owner and saw Gai-sensei sitting next to him.

‟Are you alright, Lee? ˮ, asked the jonin.

‟Hai ˮ, said the student.

‟What were you thinking ˮ, started Gai.‟When I heard that Jonins had seen you rush out in the storm towards the fire I was really worried ˮ.

‟Gomenasai sensei ˮ, muttered the boy.

‟I was informed that this girl is not from Konoha. Lee, how did you know she was in the forest? ˮ, asked the sensei. At that moment, Lee couldn't bear lie to the man who had recognized him. He told Gai all about Mayou, omitting a few parts, like the black eye, and the fact that she had told him that previous afternoon that they shouldn't be friends any longer. When Lee finished explaining, Gai ruffled his hair and smiled. He knew that his student had gone through a rough night, and didn't want to antagonize him. Lee felt instant relief that his beloved sensei wasn't upset, even if he had lied about the training. At that moment, Shizune approached the duo.

‟Tsunade-sama has asked me to come get you ˮ, said the woman. ‟The young girl is fine ˮ. Lee felt like a weight was taken off his shoulders. He knew that Tsunade was an excellent medical ninja, the best there was, but he couldn't help but feel anxious waiting all night.

‟You can go see her, but she needs to rest, so you can't stay for long ˮ, finished Shizune.

‟Hai ˮ, Lee replied. He looked towards his sensei, for approval, and hurried towards Mayou's unit when Gai nodded.

Mayou opened her eyes slowly; blinking a few times before they focused. She started getting up when she felt a sharp pain in her left side.

‟Kuso! ˮ, she breathed.

‟I wouldn't do that if I were you ˮ, said a woman's voice. Startled, the girl turned towards the voice, raising her good arm in defense.

‟Don't worry ˮ, said the woman near her. Mayou observed the woman. She had blonde hair, brown eyes, and there was a tiny violet rhombus shape on her forehead.

‟My name is Tsunade ˮ, she said. ‟I'm Konoha's… ˮ

Mayou cut her off. ‟You're the Hokage ˮ, she completed.

‟So I see Lee has told you about me ˮ, said the lady, smiling. At the mentioned of his name, Mayou blushed. The last thing she remembered was the boy lifting an entire tree off of her with what seemed like no effort at all.

 _He saved me_ , she thought. _Even when I pushed him away, he came back for me._

‟Your left arm is broken, and a few of your ribs on that side as well ˮ, said the woman. ‟You're lucky you were brought here so quickly ˮ. She continued, ‟I was able to limit most of the damage. However, you will have to stay in the village under observation ˮ. Mayou got uneasy at the mention of those words. She never stayed in a village for longer than a few hours. She usually stole what she needed, and left quickly. A few times, she had found jobs, but that was when she was a little girl and the people pitied her. She looked toward the blonde woman, who was smiling at her. Since she was basically the leader of the village and she was the one who told her to stay, Mayou was reassured.

‟Arigato ˮ, she told Tsunade.

‟Would you like to see your, um, friend ˮ, asked the sannin, unsure of how to formulate the phrase. The medical-ninja remembered how Lee was protective of the girl the night prior, and how the girl had blushed when she had mentioned his name before.

‟Hai ˮ, answered the young wounded. Tsunade headed towards the door but stopped when she heard the girl's voice.

‟Miss Tsunade? ˮ, she called.

‟Yes? ˮ, asked the woman, turning towards her.

‟My name is Mayou ˮ, said the girl.

‟Nice to meet you ˮ, smiled the woman. She exited, as Lee entered. She closed the door, giving the young adolescents some alone time.

Lee sat in a chair that was on the right side of the bed. He noticed Mayou's bandaged left side.

‟My left arm is broken, and a few ribs too ˮ, said the young girl weakly.

‟Gomen ˮ, said the boy looking down.

‟No, Lee, you saved me, arigato ˮ, said the girl. Lee looked at her. She was smiling at him. He blushed, and turned around so she wouldn't see. He turned back and saw her good hand resting beside her body, outside the blanket covering the rest of her. He started reaching for it, but stopped, remembering how she had told him that they couldn't be close anymore.

‟What's wrong ˮ, said the girl noticing him jerk away.

‟I'll leave you alone now ˮ, he said. ‟ I know you don't want us to be friends ˮ. He stood and started to leave but Mayou stopped him.

‟Please, stay ˮ, she said. ‟I was wrong. I didn't want to stop training with you. The truth is… I never had a friend before. I was scared that eventually, you would push me away, because I am a burden ˮ. Lee sat back down next to Mayou.

‟You're not a burden ˮ, he told her. ‟You're a fighter ˮ. Mayou blushed, but didn't turn away like the boy had a minute earlier, not that she could in her position.

Lee put his hand out.‟ Can I? ˮ, he asked Mayou. She nodded and he took her hand in his.

After a while, Lee stood and walked towards the door. Mayou was dozing off. Shizune had told him that he couldn't visit her for too long, because she needed some rest. He reached the door, and as he pulled it open, he was surprised by three bodies thumping on the floor. Sakura, Tenten, and Naruto were leaning on the door and fell in when Lee had opened it. All three immediately got up, in front of a surprised Lee.

‟We were just… ˮ, started Sakura.

‟Gomen Lee ˮ, muttered Tenten. ‟We were worried about you, haha… ˮ, she laughed nervously.

‟Nanda, I thought we came to spy on fuzzybrows and his girlfriend ˮ, said Naruto.

‟Idiot! ˮ, yelled Sakura, as she punched the blond boy. Tenten escorted the two agitated genins away, looking back towards her team member apologetically. Lee ran after his friends, after closing the door to Mayou's unit carefully.


	6. Chakra

Mayou woke to the sounds of birds chirping, and a cool breeze hitting her face gently. She turned towards the window of her room that was left open. She shivered, despite her familiarity with this weather. The temperature was usually not a problem when she slept outdoors, but her immune system was down at the moment, as she was recovering from a serious injury. She started to rise, with the intention of closing the window, but a sharp pain on her entire upper-left side stopped her. She sighed and went back to lying down. After a few minutes of being awake in bed, Mayou realized that she had no clue about what to do at that point. The day before, lady Tsunade had attended to her needs, and then Lee had kept her company until she was too tired to stay awake. Now, she was all alone in her room, unable to move. She didn't even know what time of day it was. By observing the light outside and the shadows, she could tell it was about noon.

 _Wow, I slept this much?,_ she thought. Thankfully, her awkward situation didn't last longer, because a nurse carefully opened her door and peeked in. when she saw that the patient was awake, she slipped in.

‟Good morning, um, I should say good day, Mayou-san. Are you hungry? ˮ, asked the young nurse. Mayou's good hand clutched her stomach as it made a grumbling sound. She nodded and the woman left the room. Shortly after, she came in with a platter of food. The nurse helped her sit up, as the young injured girl's movements were still limited. Mayou ate quickly. After that, the nurse helped her to the washroom. When that was done, the nurse told her that she should expect company shortly. Mayou wondered who would visit her this time. She knew only two people in this village, and the Hokage was a busy woman. So Mayou figured it would be her friend Lee coming in.

A few minutes later, the door to Mayou's room opened. To her astonishment, it wasn't the Genin boy, but Tsunade who entered.

‟Hello Mayou ˮ, said the woman kindly.

‟Um hi ˮ, replied the orphaned girl.

The woman told her, ‟I know you must be surprised to see me, but I requested for this time with you before I would let your friends visit ˮ. Mayou wondered why Tsunade used the plural term of friend, because she only knew Lee in this village. Of course, she was unaware that word had gotten around about her, and Lee's peers got curious about her.

‟I wanted to talk to you about something important. How much do you know about ninja? ˮ, asked the blonde woman.

Mayou didn't quite understand the relevance of the question, but answered. ‟Well, I know they train and do missions. They use different jutsu, including taijutsu, ninjutsu and genjutsu ˮ.

The Hokage was pleased by her response. ‟Great, so you know quite a bit already. This will make the conversation easier. Do you know about chakra? ˮ Mayou still didn't see where this little chat was going but she didn't want to be rude to the Hokage, especially since the woman saved her life.

‟I know ninjas use it for their techniques, but I don't know much else about it. Miss Tsunade? ˮ, asked the confused girl, ‟Why are you asking me all these questions? ˮ Tsunade suddenly had a serious look.

‟When I treated you, I felt that you had incredible Chakra potential. Have you ever considered training to be able to use it? ˮ, asked the Sannin. Mayou was overwhelmed by that information. She had never considered herself as anything special. Secretly, she had always despised ninja. She hated how they acted like they were better than everyone because they could use special techniques. Lee was different because he couldn't use his chakra as a ninja skill, so she got along with him well. They both trained in taijutsu, body combat techniques.

‟I know this must be a lot to take in ˮ, said Tsunade, ‟but you should really think about this, Mayou. Konoha would be glad to have you. Here, we are like a big family. Even orphaned children have a place ˮ. Tsunade thought of young ninjas like Naruto, who had a purpose being a ninja, despite being parentless. She looked at the young injured orphan, knowing from Lee that she had been wandering around all alone since she was very young.

‟Arigato, Tsunade-sama. I will consider this, but please give me some time ˮ, Mayou told the woman.

Tsunade smiled. ‟No problem, take all the time you need. I'll let your friends know you are free now ˮ. The Sannin exited, leaving Mayou very perplexed.

Mayou wasn't left alone with her thoughts for long. Shortly after Tsunade's departure, she heard a knock at her door.

‟Come in ˮ, she cried out, uneasily. She was nervous about who would enter through the door. Tsunade had said that her ‟friends ˮ were coming to visit her, but she only knew Lee. She wasn't too excited about the idea of meeting new people, especially in her current condition. Socialization gave her a sense of vulnerability. She was at ease in the woods, under the stars, surrounded by trees. To her relief, only Lee came through the door. He walked towards her and sat on the chair that was next to the bed.

‟Good day, Mayou-san. Are you ok? ˮ, he asked, concerned.

‟Yes, arigato, Lee-san. Konoha is a very friendly and generous village. I sept comfortably, despite the broken arm and all ˮ, she joked. Lee felt he should've laughed but couldn't bring himself to. He really cared about Mayou, and he knew only too well what it felt like to have a broken arm.

‟I have a favour to ask you… ˮ, Lee told Mayou. She noted the uncertainty in his tone. She expected something like this to come along. Konoha was a big village, filled with ninja. News probably travelled really fast. A girl from outside the village, bed-ridden in the hospital would be exciting gossip.

She reassured her friend. ‟I have a feeling this is about your friends. Don't worry, Tsunade-sama kind of hinted at it already. I figured you ninja were the gossiping type ˮ.

Lee got all defensive. ‟Mayou-san! Konoha ninja are the most respectable and- ˮ

‟I was only joking around, Lee ˮ, she remarked, grinning. It amused her how fateful to his village Lee was. Being an orphan who left her village very young, Mayou never developed a sense of community and pride in her people.

‟Fine, let's just get this over with ˮ, she let out sounding exasperated. Lee chuckled at her sarcastic tone. The two friends, despite having known each other for so little time, had a great connection. They just understood each other. It was natural when they were together. The door was still slightly opened.

‟Alright, you can come in ˮ, called out the Genin. Mayou tried to focus on her facial expression. She didn't want to look unfriendly. She settled with a small smile.

In came three people, about her and Lee's age. There were two girls, and one boy. The boy was blond, with blue eyes, wearing an orange outfit. Right behind was a pink-haired girl in a red dress with green eyes. Following these two was a taller brunette with two buns resting on her head. She wore a forehead protector with a leaf logo on her forehead, just like Lee wore around his waist. So did the other two, noticed Mayou.

 _So they're all ninjas_ , she remarked. It amazed her how young they all were. The ninja she had seen in the woods were at least twice their age. Mayou didn't know how the ninja ranking system worked.

‟Mayou, this is Naruto, Sakura, and Tenten ˮ. Lee gestured towards the three ninja. The two female genins waved to her, smiling, but the boy just stood there frowning.

‟So, fuzzybrows, you told me you couldn't train with me because you were busy, but now I understand what you were doing. You were wasting your time with kawaii girls ˮ, grumbled the blue-eyed boy.

The pink hair girl elbowed him in the ribs.

‟Ow! Sakura-chan! ˮ, he yelped.

‟Please excuse him ˮ, said the girl with the buns. ‟I'm Tenten. Lee and I are on the same team. It's nice to meet you, Mayou ˮ. She extended her hand towards her. Mayou shook it.

‟Arigato ˮ, she said, too quietly for her liking.

 _Kuso!_ , she thought, they just think of me as this weakling that Lee was flirting with or something. She wanted to prove to them that even if she wasn't a ninja, she could fend for herself and she was strong. It was ironic how at that moment, she couldn't even sit up on her own.

‟You have incredible Chakra ˮ, said a voice coming from the doorway. Everyone immediately looked towards that direction. Mayou observed a boy, about Lee's age leaning on the frame. He had long brown hair, and strange pale violet eyes.

‟Neji? ˮ, said the blond boy named Naruto. Mayou noticed the reaction of the other less spaced-out Genins. She looked at Lee, who seemed suddenly very tense.

The newcomer's name sounded familiar to Mayou. She remembered Lee talking about a genius on his team who had a special eye ability that was passed down in his family. He could use it to scan the environment and see other people's chakra. It was now the second time that day that someone mentioned her chakra. Mayou had almost forgotten about her conversation with the Hokage earlier on. Now she was being put on the spot by Lee's rival.

‟Well, Lee, it seems you have made an interesting new friend. I'd like to get to know more of her, perhaps when she can walk on her own ˮ. The boy named Neji didn't give his team mate the chance to answer; he vanished as quickly as he had appeared.

Mayou went pale. She didn't have the chance to tell Lee about the chakra situation, or Tsunade's offer. Tenten was whispering into Sakura's ear. Mayou didn't pick up much of it but heard the words Chakra, powerful, Neji, and special. She thought it was a bit rude of them to talk about her right where she could see them, but she was infiltrating their village after all. She was the odd one out. Tenten and Sakura gave Lee a short goodbye, nodded at Mayou and left. Naruto just stood there, looking very dazed.

‟I guess I'll go too then, fuzzybrows ˮ, he exclaimed, and rushed out.

The tension was obvious. Lee was the only one remaining, and he hadn't said one word since Neji's statement.

‟Fuzzybrows, that's a kawaii nickname ˮ, attempted Mayou. Her joke didn't ease the tense mood.

‟Did you know? ˮ, he asked sternly.

‟Well, yes, but not for long, I just found out I swear! ˮ, defended Mayou. She pleaded her case, but without knowing exactly why. She had great chakra, big deal. She was still exactly the same as before. But Lee looked upset. Mayou felt nervous, all of a sudden. Obviously, this friendly reunion didn't turn out as planned.

‟Tsunade-sama told me about it this afternoon, right before you came ˮ, she explained. ‟She told me I had good chakra potential, and I should consider training to use it ˮ.

‟Are you considering it? ˮ, asked Lee.

‟I didn't decide on anything yet. I was planning on discussing it with you, but I see that you're not very open to the topic ˮ, Mayou remarked. Mayou remembered how Lee explained that he could not use genjutsu or ninjutsu, but that Gai-sensei had trained him in taijutsu. He relied solely on body techniques to be a ninja. Mayou was also experienced in taijutsu, but to her it was only a question of survival. Using her skills as a career had never even occurred to her. Now that she knew she had greater power, it was stupid not to try and use it.

She could tell her friend was hurt. Their bond was based on the fact that they both trained in body combat. If she chose to pursue chakra training, she would become like all his other peers and he'd be alone again.

‟Lee-san, gomen. I should have let you know about this earlier. I haven't made my decision yet. Tsunade-sama told me to take as long as I would like. I'm nowhere near being healed yet, so I still have a lot of time ˮ, she told her friend.

Lee smiled, but it didn't look sincere.


	7. Neji

Lee stormed out of Konoha hospital. After Mayou had explained to him that she had just found out about her chakra potential, Lee felt completely blindsided. He felt betrayed, but he didn't know exactly by whom. Mayou didn't have the chance to tell him, and he understood that. Tsunade-sama was only doing her duty as the Hokage. Neji… He was the one who had gone out of line. The rage started to boil in the young Genin. He had always wanted to fight his rival. Neji had everything going for him. His clan had a special bloodline ability that gave him much power, and he had always tormented Lee about it. Lee had never felt quite the same as his peers, because he couldn't use Chakra. He had finally found someone he could relate with. With Mayou, he felt like he belonged, because they were the same. This had all been taken away from him, and once again, Neji was there to rub it in. Lee paced quickly through the streets of Konoha, until he spotted Tenten with Sakura.

‟Lee-san! ˮ, waved the pink-haired girl. He approached the pair, but wasn't in a friendly mood.

‟Have you seen where Neji went? ˮ, he asked sharply. Tenten noticed his fuming mood, but told him anyway.

‟He went that way ˮ, she said pointing further away from where they were. Lee didn't even thank his female teammate. He rushed towards that direction. When he spotted the genius, Lee couldn't help himself.

‟Neji! ˮ, he yelled, Let's fight. Now!

The Hyuuga didn't have time to react. Lee was suddenly swept away from the premises. A second later, he found himself away from his rival, in an alley. Lee saw who had removed him from the fight

‟Kakashi-sensei ˮ, he gasped.

‟Yo! ˮ, said the silver-haired Jonin. Lee frowned. Kakashi had just ruined his chance to defeat Neji. The masked man noticed the Genin's reaction and explained himself.

‟Lee, Konoha ninja are not supposed to fight between themselves ˮ, he told him. Not too long ago, two Genins Kakashi supervised had been in a fight that could've been deadly. He was glad that he had been at the right place and time to stop Lee from doing the same with Neji.

‟But you and Gai-sensei compete all the time! ˮ, Lee remarked. The Jonin chuckled.

‟It's not the same. We just engage in friendly competition. Gai considers himself my rival, but it's all for fun ˮ, Kakashi noted. Lee had cooled off and realized that his hasty actions wouldn't help the situation. In fact, the relationship between him and Neji would be worse from now on. He then felt ashamed, especially since Gai-sensei had always taught him to act otherwise.

‟I have to go now ˮ, Kakashi announced. Don't go acting up again. As soon as he had said that, the copy ninja took off.

Mayou fell asleep after Lee left. She was still early in her healing and didn't have much energy in her. She woke up early the next morning, after having bad dreams. In her dream, she was alone in the middle of the woods. She couldn't make out the details of the area too well, but it looked like the clearing she found and trained in. Then, a bunch of red eyes appeared amongst the trees. Mayou tried to defend herself, but she didn't know how. Kicking and punching were useless against the enemies around her. The darkness surrounded her and she suffocated, defenseless. She woke up in sweat, breathing heavily.

 _All these interactions with people are making me anxious,_ she thought. She sighed and waited until a nurse came in to check on her. After going to the bathroom and having breakfast, the nurse made sure she was comfortable sitting up and left her alone. Mayou still couldn't move her body because of her pained side. She half-hoped someone would come visit her, even if she was uneasy around people. Being alone in a hospital room all day and not being able to move was boring.

About an hour later, she had almost dozed off when she heard a knock on her door.

‟Come in ˮ, she called out, not knowing who would pass through the door. Her most common visitors were Lee and Tsunade, but it wasn't any of them who entered. Neji approached her, almost cautiously, probably not wanting to startle her. He hesitated next to the bed, so Mayou motioned towards the chair with her head.

‟Gomenasai ˮ, he started, ‟about yesterday, I mean. I did not mean for things to… escalate the way they did ˮ. Of course, Mayou had no idea that Lee tried to pick a fight with Neji when he left her room, but the Hyuuga still felt the need to apologise.

‟It's ok, I guess ˮ, replied the young girl. She didn't know if she should be friendly with Neji, knowing his relationship with her friend Lee. However, she remembered the comment he made the day prior. _You have incredible Chakra_ he had told her. She knew Lee wouldn't be too happy about this, but it seemed like this boy knew about her chakra.

‟You said I had incredible chakra, what does that mean ˮ, asked Mayou. Neji looked serious, but he looked like he had good intentions.

‟I have an ability to see people's chakra. When I heard that everyone was going to the hospital to see Lee, I just thought he was injured. When I scanned the environment, I didn't see anything wrong, but I did notice a great source of power. That was you ˮ, he explained. Mayou didn't know how to react to that. Tsunade hadn't told her much about her chakra, only that it was strong and she would like her to consider training to be a Konoha ninja.

‟But what is different about my chakra? ˮ, asked Mayou.

‟Not too long ago, I went on a mission with Lee, Tenten, and Naruto. It was in the village of Hoshi. ˮ, started the Hyuuga.

 _Star?,_ wondered Mayou.

‟The ninja in that village had special chakra because they trained with a star that fell from the sky. Your chakra is quite similar to theirs. However, the ninja who trained with that star chakra fell ill. I was able to see its effects on their body. You don't have any traces of illness in your body, but yet I still sense the same chakra quality as the Hoshi ninja ˮ, Neji explained.

‟But I don't come from the village of Hoshi, I was born in a small village with no known name, and left a few years after my… ˮ, Mayou choked up a bit. She didn't like to recall her parent's death. Even if it was 9 years ago, she was old enough to understand that her house burned, and her parents perished. She doesn't recall how she was the only one saved from the flames. Her furthest memories are of her fellow villagers helping her out, until they couldn't afford to take care of her growing body anymore. When she was 10, she left her village, and had been travelling around for 3 years.

‟You don't need to tell me ˮ, kindly said Neji. ‟I understand that the death of a parent is difficult to talk about ˮ. The boy's father had died to protect the Hyuuga bloodline limit secret. He could empathize with this stranger, even if he didn't know her at all.

‟I do remember a little ˮ, recalled Mayou. ‟I believe that an old lady from my village told me that my parents were not originally from there. She said that they had escaped their home village. They didn't agree with… something. I don't remember the rest ˮ. She sighed. 

‟The star training was a controversial topic in Hoshi, because of the side effects it had on the ninja who practised star training. If your parents left, maybe it was because they didn't agree with it. If you were exposed, perhaps you acquired some of the star's power ˮ, Neji noted.

‟Arigato, Neji-san ˮ, said the girl. ‟I'm glad you came to see me, you know, it gets quite dull here alone all day ˮ. She was afraid of his reaction, but he didn't get upset.

‟Yeah, most of the people you met: Lee, Tenten, Sakura, Naruto, are either on missions or training. Don't take it personally if you don't get visitors. If you're planning to stay in Konoha, you'll meet other people our age. I'm sure there will always be someone to keep you company ˮ. With that, Neji rose. ‟Gomenasai, but I have to go now. My uncle is expecting me to train ˮ. He nodded and left the room.

Mayou was now firm on getting out of bed really soon. _If I'm going to be a part of Konoha, I should get accustomed to it. Starting now, I will work hard to try and stand, then walk, and hopefully soon I'll be able to get out of this damn hospital room._ Determined, Mayou decided to lie down and rest. Tomorrow, she would have a long day.


	8. A trip in the forest

It was a beautiful day in Konoha. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and Mayou was still in her hospital room after a week. It had been 3 days since she had had anyone come visit her. Her chat with Neji was her last real human contact, aside from the nurse. Lee was on a mission. He had come see her before he left, but it was very brief. Everyone else weren't close enough to her to come see her on their own.

 _Kuso! I need to get out of here before I lose it_ , Mayou thought. She was used to being in nature. Her stay in villages never lasted long. She was alone in the forest, but she never felt lonely. The sounds of the animals and the wind rustling through the trees reminded Mayou of all the life around her. Konoha hospital was situated in the village. She was surrounded by people, yet she couldn't help but feel alone. The nurse had brought her a crutch, at her request. Mayou explained that she intended on trying to get up on her own and stand, so the woman ensured that she at least had some support if she managed to do it. Mayou had managed to sit on her own 2 days ago. The day after, she was able to get up. Yesterday, she had walked up and down her room. The pain of her healing ribs was bad, but it wasn't intolerable. Her left arm was still broken and tied up, so she didn't have good balance, but the crutch was there for that reason.

Somehow, Mayou found herself outside the hospital without being noticed. She was slow, but quiet. Taijutsu had helped her master the art of being light on her feet. She approached the village gate, and wasn't even questioned by the guards when she exited Konoha.

 _Those ninja, do they even realise how bad they are sometime_ s?, laughed Mayou to herself. Soon enough, she found herself away from the village, deep in the forest. However, she didn't go in the direction of her clearing, in case Lee had told someone about it. Surely, they'd look for her there first. After several minutes of walking, she heard the sound of a waterfall. She saw the river and the cliff with running water a few meters away from the trees' border. After looking more closely, she noticed someone standing on rocks in the river, beneath the waterfall. Mayou concealed herself behind a bush. It looked like a girl's silhouette. She was moving gracefully, but the moves she executed were simulating attacks. Mayou was impressed. She crouched to be able to watch more comfortably, but as she did, she accidently strained her left side.

‟Kuso! ˮ, Mayou cursed aloud. _Oh no!_ , she thought right after, because the girl in the river immediately flinched.

‟Byakugan! ˮ, she heard the girl in the water cry out. Mayou decided to reveal herself, she didn't want the girl to think she was an enemy and attack her. The injured girl wasn't exactly in the shape to defend herself.

‟Gomenasai ˮ, Mayou said as she emerged from behind the bush. The girl approached her cautiously. Mayou looked at her, and felt like there was something familiar about her features. Her hair was short and dark blue, but it was her wide lavender eyes that looked familiar.

‟Your eyes ˮ, Mayou muttered, ‟they're like Neji's ˮ.

‟Neji-kun… ˮ, mumbled the girl.

‟Ok so you obviously know each other. I'm sorry if I startled you. My name is Mayou ˮ, the orphan introduced herself. ‟I'm staying in Konoha for a while under Tsunade's supervision. I met Lee in the forest and, well this is kind of a long story but I ended up in the hospital. So this is why my arm is like this and I have a crutch ˮ, Mayou explained herself in a very fast speech. ‟Oh yeah, I met Neji in the hospital because he came to visit me when Lee's other friends came. Um, what where their names. There was Tenten, Sakura… and that blond kid that had no idea what was going on. Naru… ˮ

‟Naruto-kun ˮ, mumbled the lavender-eyed girl.

‟Yeah, that's it. Naruto ˮ, grinned Mayou. She noticed that the girl was blushing and had a small smile.

‟M-my name is Hinata. Neji-kun is my older cousin. N-Naruto-kun told me that he visited Lee-kun's girlfriend in the hospital the other day ˮ, muttered Hinata.

‟Nani!? ˮ, exclaimed Mayou. ‟Not only is that kid completely lost, but he's making up false information! ˮ She saw Hinata back away. ‟Gomen, Hinata, I got carried away ˮ, apologized Mayou.‟ Lee and I are just friends.ˮ Mayou felt glum when she said those words. _Yeah, what a friend, we barely even spent time together since I arrived in Konoha_ , she thought. Suddenly, Mayou felt a sharp pain in her damaged side. She grunted and fell to her knees.

‟Mayou-san! ˮ, yelled Hinata. The Hyuuga caught Mayou before she could collapse to the ground. The last thing Mayou saw before she lost consciousness were Hinata's lavender eyes.

When Mayou woke up, she could hear Tsunade lecturing someone in an angry voice.

‟Next time be more vigilant! ˮ, yelled the Hokage. ‟The girl is obviously not ready to be walking around on her own, especially outside the village! You're lucky Hinata was there to notify us! ˮ

Mayou's vision focused, and she saw Sakura standing over her. As soon as her eyes opened, the young medical ninja called out to her master.

‟Tsunade-sama! She's awake ˮ, called out the pink-haired Genin.

Tsunade left the Jonins and nurse she was lecturing, and came to Mayou's side.

‟Mayou, are you alright? ˮ, asked the blonde woman.

‟Go…men ˮ, Mayou managed to let out.

‟I see that you're bored with being here all day, but what were you thinking going out in the forest!? ˮ, said the Hokage sternly.

‟I... I need to…train ˮ, Mayou muttered. Tsunade smiled.

‟You're not my first hot-blooded patient ˮ, she declared. The Hokage had the same problem with Lee. The young Genin was always trying to train, even if his body was badly damaged.

‟Alright ˮ, said Tsunade. ‟We will find a place where you can train under supervision, until you're strong enough ˮ.

‟Tsunade-sama ˮ, Sakura announced, ‟I know a place where that might be possible ˮ.

‟I'm listening ˮ, noted the Hokage.

‟Well, Lee built a dojo in the village. Since he's on a mission, no one is using it. Maybe Mayou can train in there ˮ, said the pink-haired Genin.

‟Great idea, Sakura! ˮ, exclaimed Tsunade.‟ You heard this Mayou? ˮ

‟…Hai ˮ, Mayou said weakly.

‟Sakura, I'll put you in charge of supervising Mayou's training. If she's pushing herself too much, you stop her. ˮ, declared the Hokage.

‟Hai! I'll do my duty, Tsunade-sama ˮ, stated Sakura.

Mayou was too strained to stay awake, but she fell asleep with a smile.


	9. The Lesson

Sakura was walking with Mayou towards Lee's dojo. Mayou couldn't wait to finally do something after being bed-ridden. Of course, her energy level wasn't at its optimum, but she couldn't bear staying in her hospital room for another minute. On the way there, she took the opportunity to see more of Konoha. When she was first brought to the village, she was unconscious, and when she made her little excursion in the woods the day before, she was trying to be quick and didn't take the time to look around. Sakura pointed out a few places like the academy, where all children went if they were going to be a ninja. Mayou wondered if she would have to go there if she accepted the Hokage's offer. The students there were all very young kids.

‟This is Ichiraku's ramen shop ˮ, declared Sakura as they passed by the little restaurant. She smiled towards Mayou, who she had sworn to supervise.

‟Sakura-Chan? ˮ, they heard a boy's voice say. Naruto emerged from behind the curtain that covered part of Ichiraku's opening. When Mayou saw the blond Genin, she called out to him.

‟Naruto! ˮ, Mayou yelled. Sakura was surprised, that was usually her line.

‟Mayou-chan? ˮ, said Naruto with a dazed look. ‟Aren't you in the hospital? ˮ

‟I'll put you in the hospital if you keep going around spreading rumours about me! ˮ, shouted Mayou.

‟He, he, he ˮ, nervously laughed the blond Genin. ‟Gomen, Mayou-chan ˮ, he said and then ran off.

‟Hey! Naruto! You need to pay for your ramen! ˮ, called out the shop owner.

Sakura laughed. She believed her and Mayou would get along just fine. They continued walking and arrived at Lee's dojo. They went in and Mayou grinned. Sakura stepped to the side and let her new friend do her thing. She observed Mayou spinning around and kicking in all directions. _Her technique is almost as good as Lee-san's_ , she noted internally.

After about an hour, Sakura was almost getting bored of watching Mayou when Ino barged in the dojo.

‟Ino? ˮ, said the confused medical ninja in training.

‟Apparently, there is a girl in here that is more kawaii than me! ˮ, raged the newcomer. ‟Obviously, it's not you wide-forehead girl ˮ, she said to Sakura, chuckling.

Mayou stopped what she was doing and turned towards the girl who had barged in.

‟You have guts coming in here and insulting Sakura like that ˮ, she called out to Ino. As she turned, she saw the mind control user's face go blank.

‟Go-Gomen ˮ, stuttered Ino. ‟It's just that Naruto really rubbed it in and I wanted to see what he was talking about… ˮ, her voice got quieter as she spoke. Obviously, the blonde girl wasn't comfortable in Mayou's presence.

Mayou had never thought of herself as pretty. In fact, she didn't even take notice of her appearance. She glanced down, examining herself. She wasn't very tall, and wasn't skinny either. She had an hourglass figure that was pretty prominent for her age. Her hands were covered in scabs and her knuckles were red, but the rest of her body showed fair, light skin. She approached Ino.

‟Would you happen to have a mirror? ˮ, she asked the suddenly quiet girl.

‟Hai ˮ, Ino answered as she handed her a small compact. Mayou opened it and looked at her reflection.

She had wide golden-brown eyes. Her nose was thin, and her face had defined cheekbones. Her hair was light brown, layered, and fell right above her shoulders. It was the first time Mayou really took the time to look at her features.

‟I am pretty… ˮ, she mumbled to herself, under her breath. She gave Ino back the mirror. The girl backed away.

‟Gomenasai, I will be on my way now ˮ, Ino said nervously.

‟Wait! ˮ, called out Mayou. ‟You mentioned something about Naruto before, right? ˮ, she asked.

‟Yeah, I overheard him talking about a kawaii girl that was staying in Konoha, so I got curious. I did my research and was informed that you were training in here, but I got carried away earlier ˮ, explained the blonde girl.

‟Kuso! ˮ, said Mayou. _That Naruto guy is really getting on my nerves. He's making me look bad in front of the other villagers_. Sakura noticed that Mayou was fuming.

‟Mayou-san ˮ, called out the pink-haired girl. ‟Is everything ok? ˮ

‟It will be, once I teach Naruto a lesson! ˮ, she declared.

‟Ino, do you want to help me? ˮ, Mayou asked her. Ino nodded and Mayou explained the plan to her.

After Mayou was done explaining, Ino left. A few minutes later, Sakura and Mayou could hear some voices approaching the dojo.

‟… Lee's really got himself a catch ˮ, said a boy's voice. It was Naruto talking to someone. Ino rushed in before they could enter.

‟He's almost here ˮ, she said to Mayou. The taijutsu user smiled with a firm look in her eye.

Soon after, Naruto walked in with another boy and a little white dog. As soon as he spotted Mayou, Naruto's face went white.

The dog started to bark at Mayou, not recognizing her scent. His owner noticed Sakura and Ino were with the stranger, so he judged that she wasn't a threat.

‟It's ok, Akamaru ˮ, he said to the dog. It stopped barking and jumped into his owner's arms. The boy put the dog in his jacket.

‟So Naruto, I see that you didn't understand my warning ˮ, declared Mayou. The boy started to retreat, but Mayou jumped and landed right in front of him, grabbing his collar.

‟Kiba! ˮ, called the blond Genin. Sakura had already motioned to the beast user not to intervene. The boy just watched, amused, with the two other female Genin.

Naruto felt a fist connect to his face, and he went flying upwards. Mayou, despite being frail from her injuries, still had a strong right arm. The boy hit the ground outside the dojo doors he flew out of. The three Genin watching laughed, but stopped when they saw someone appear next to the fallen Naruto.

The Jonin helped Naruto up. Mayou immediately regretted her previous move. She wasn't in Konoha to start fights with the ninjas. Tsunade would probably rethink her offer when she found out about this incident. She could tell that the ninja that had appeared was someone higher ranked than the ones around her, by the serious look on their face. As soon as he stepped into her field of vison and she got a better look, Mayou was startled. That ninja was dressed exactly like Lee. They even had the same hair.

‟Gomenasai, Gai-sensei ˮ, said Sakura. ‟We were just teaching Naruto a lesson ˮ. As she spoke, Gai approached Mayou.

‟You've got quite the punch! ˮ, he declared laughing. He gave her thumbs up and winked. Mayou felt relieved. So this was Lee's sensei.

‟Naruto! ˮ, Gai called out.‟You should know better than to mess around with a Taijutsu user! ˮ

The boy just rubbed his behind, shot Mayou a smug look, and walked back towards the village.

‟I better get back too ˮ, said the brown haired boy with the dog. ‟Nice to meet you, Mayou ˮ, he said looking towards her.‟ Let's go Akamaru! ˮ, he yelled, running off. Ino also left, after saying goodbye to Mayou, Gai, and Sakura.

Sakura noticed how popular the new girl was getting. She knew that Neji had come to visit her in the hospital, and that she got to know Hinata the day before. Tenten seemed to like her the day they first met, and Naruto was going around telling everyone about how cute she was. Even Ino appeared to like Mayou, despite the fact that she was very pretty. And of course, Lee was the one who had brought her in the village in the first place. Tsunade-sama also looked as if she quite cared for Mayou; she went to great lengths to ensure that the girl was safe. Sakura knew that it was her mission to supervise Mayou, but she couldn't help but feel jealous of the attention she got.

Sakura stopped focusing on her thoughts and looked towards the girl she vowed to look over. Mayou was being shown a move by Gai. Of course, he would like her too. She was so similar to Lee, his favourite student. Sakura sighed. How could she be mad at Mayou for being likeable, when even she enjoyed the girl's company? Sakura hoped that her new friend would get better soon and be able to start her chakra training.


	10. A furry situation

Mayou paced through the streets of Konoha with excitement. The night before, Lady Tsunade had told her that her broken arm was strong enough to remove the support. Mayou's side still hurt from being crushed, but at least she had more freedom than she did with her arm tied up. When the Hokage had visited her, Mayou expected a lecture about her rumble with Naruto. Tsunade didn't even say anything of it. In fact, she announced to the girl that they had found her a small apartment she could lodge in, now that she didn't need to be kept under surveillance at the hospital. She would still have someone supervise her training, because Tsunade knew how taijutsu users could go overboard. However, Mayou still had to report every few days so medical ninjas could look after her injuries. After a good night's sleep, Mayou woke up early in the morning and headed towards Lee's dojo, her designated training area.

Lee hadn't returned from his mission, and Mayou hadn't seen him in almost a week. At first when she found out he was leaving, Mayou felt helpless because she didn't know anyone in the village. However, things didn't stay like that for long. She made new friends amongst the Konoha Genin. She was closest with Sakura, who was assigned as Mayou training supervisor. Since the girl was an aspiring medical ninja, she was perfect in that position.

When Mayou entered the dojo, she was expecting a greeting from her pink-haired friend, but instead she came face-to-face with Kiba, who she had briefly met the day before. Startled, Mayou blushed with embarrassment.

‟I see you were expecting someone else ˮ, exclaimed the Inuzuka. ‟Sakura was needed for a mission, so Tsunade-sama assigned me to supervise your training for today ˮ.

‟I thought she was chosen to supervise me because she's a medical ninja. What can you do if I need medical attention? ˮ, asked Mayou in a sarcastic tone.

‟Well, just don't overdo it, and we won't have a problem ˮ, answered Kiba. His companion, the dog Akamaru, barked, as if he was agreeing with his owner.

‟So what's with the dog? ˮ, questioned Mayou. For some reason, she didn't feel comfortable around animals. Even though she was accustomed to the wilderness, furry creatures gave her the creeps. She looked at her new assigned supervisor. Kiba was from the Inuzuka clan. They all looked animal-like, with their shaggy hair, vertical black pupils, and sharp canines. The red fang markings on his face added to that factor. She couldn't help but be attracted to his features. Unknowingly, Mayou was tense and clammy.

Kiba noticed how the foreigner was reacting. She was watching Akamaru, as if she expected the dog to attack. ‟Are you scared of Akamaru? ˮ, he asked her. The dog whimpered, understanding the situation.

‟Nani? Me scared? Come on! ˮ, Mayou exaggerated her expressions, trying to hide her true feelings. ‟I just… don't like animals ˮ she blurted out. She immediately regretted saying that, because Kiba seemed attached to his dog.

‟Oh. We will stay out of your way then ˮ, said Kiba abruptly. He moved to the far wall, and leaned on it. Akamaru obediently sat down next to his owner, on guard. _Kuso!_ , he couldn't help thinking. When Naruto told him about the newcomer, he was curious about her. Seeing Mayou the day before, he was impressed by her strength and grace. Now, he was forced to watch her all day, without intervening. The fact that she didn't like animals surprisingly saddened him. He had no chance of getting close to her, since Akamaru never left his side. _This situation could get worse_ , he thought, _at least she's a good sight for the eyes._

Usually, when Sakura supervised her, Mayou wasn't so self-conscious. Knowing Kiba was scrutinizing her every move made her uneasy. She tried extremely hard not to mess up any of her moves, and hit all the targets really hard. She didn't realize how hard she was working, until her side started to hurt. She clenched her teeth, hoping Kiba wouldn't notice, and kept training. Five minutes later, the pain got worse and she started getting dizzy. She stopped, which got Akamaru's attention. He barked once, alerting his owner, who wasn't really paying that close attention at that moment.

‟Mayou? ˮ, he called out, uncertainly. The girl didn't reply. Her better hand was clutching her injured side, and her hand from her broken arm was placed over her forehead. She stumbled a few feet backwards, and Kiba realized she was going to fall. He motioned to Akamaru to stay where he was, and rushed to her. Kiba caught Mayou right before she hit the floor. He bent one knee on the floor and rested the girl's head on the other, while holding her upper body in his arms.

Mayou blinked a few times and realized her situation. She blushed, being so close to Kiba. Without thinking, she wrapped her good arm around him, for support, even if he was holding her up just fine.

‟Arigatoˮ, she said staring up at him. Kiba was also taken aback, but he still held her, since it was his duty to intervene if she worked herself too much.

At that moment, Lee appeared at the dojo door. He just returned from his mission, and had gotten informed about Mayou right away. He didn't hesitate and ran to her as soon as he got clearance from Tsunade. What he saw when he got to the door took him aback. As soon as the two noticed he was there, they stood up.

‟Lee-san ˮ, exclaimed Mayou, approaching him. Kiba stayed put, not knowing what to do.

Instead of being all cheerful, like Mayou expected, her friend was just tense. ‟What's going on ? ˮ, Lee asked.

This time, Kiba intervened. ‟Tsunade ordered me to check on Mayou's training, in case she over-did it. Just now, she was about to faint, so I had to step in. ˮ, he explained. Akamaru had ran over to his owner, and barked after he finished talking, helping out Kiba.

‟Oh. Is everything alright then, Mayou-san ? ˮ, questioned Lee, with more concern towards Mayou's health.

‟Hai. I just need to take it down a notch. ˮ, she laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

Lee turned towards the Inuzuka. ‟I'll take her to the hospital, if you don't mind ˮ, he told him. It wasn't his place to dismiss a Genin on a mission ordered by the Hokage, but Lee didn't really think things through when it came to Mayou. Internally, he felt like Kiba had done enough for the day.

Kiba looked towards Mayou. She smiled and nodded, letting him know that she was fine with this. Kiba ran off with Akamaru, looking over his shoulder. He saw Lee helping Mayou walk out.


	11. Another furry situation

Mayou walked in the early morning after yet another night in Konoha hospital. After she almost fainted the day before, Lee had immediately brought her to the medical ninjas, even though he wasn't even assigned as her supervisor. Mayou secretly hoped Kiba didn't get in trouble for failing to do his duty, even if it was Lee who intervened out of hand. Before she left the hospital, she told one of the nurses she would take a break off of training today. She also instructed the hospital staff to let any visitors know that she wanted time alone for the day. Mayou intended on retreating to the forest. She missed the contact with nature, after being in the city for longer than she was accustomed to. As she passed Konoha's gate, the ninja guarding it nodded, indicating to her that they were aware of her plans. _At least I don't need a babysitter to walk around_ , she thought.

Even though she wasn't going to train, Mayou headed towards her favourite place in the forest. As soon as she stepped into the clearing, she felt a feeling of grief. The once open and cozy area was completely ruined. A fallen tree was in the middle, taking up all the space, and the whole surface of the ground was covered in twigs. Mayou felt a breeze blow through her loose layered hair, and a bunch of leaves fell from the trees above. She watched the inspiration for Konoha's logo slowly fall to the ground around her. At that moment, something fluttering in the wind caught her eye. She went towards it and saw a white bandage strip caught under a branch. She reached for it and observed it in the palm of her hand, smiling.

This clearing and all the feelings that came with it felt like a distant memory, even if she was training there only a few weeks ago. Her life was much simpler before she entered Konoha. She didn't have any pressure on her to make big decisions, such as training to be a ninja. She didn't even know she had chakra potential. Her simple lifestyle had been ripped away from her, and she could never go back. She sighed at that thought. Her new friends in Konoha were all ninja, and they all seemed happy. Each one of them had a purpose, but she was just lost _. What am I going to do?_ , she questioned herself.

She sat on the stump she used to train with, the same way she did the day she waited for Lee and punched him. She laughed at the memory. She never thought at the time that the strange boy would become her friend. Her feelings were so messed up though. She could tell how much he cared about her, and she wasn't indifferent to that. Still, she had some sort of internal blockage that stopped her from being attached to people. The loss of her parents at a young age, and the resentment from her village when she had become a burden had prevented her from developing any feeling of care towards others. She wanted to, but was scared to lose any person she felt emotionally involved with.

Lost in her thoughts, Mayou didn't sense that she was no longer alone. She heard a bark and looked towards it, startled. Emerging from bushes, Akamaru leaped into the clearing. He kept his distance, but didn't look menacing. Mayou expected to see his owner coming after him, but after a minute they were still alone.

‟Akamaru? ˮ, Mayou exclaimed, not sure how to communicate with a dog. She held out her hand, hoping that the animal would take it as a sign of friendliness. The dog walked towards her, sniffed her palm and licked her hand. Mayou giggled. Akamaru barked and jumped on her lap.

‟Ok then ˮ, Mayou said, surprised. She started petting Akamaru, even if she wasn't perfectly comfortable around animals. She was wondering where the hell Kiba was. It was under her impression that the two were inseparable. Akamaru didn't look one bit worried, so Mayou figured that everything was fine.

A few minutes later, the Inuzuka came in the same way his dog had.

‟I found you Akamaru, you can't fool my sense of smell ˮ, he called out, but stopped when he spotted Mayou with the dog on her lap.

‟Mayou-san? ˮ, he declared, confused. The girl had expressed the fact that she disliked animals the day before, and there she was petting a dog. The situation didn't seem right. Mayou realised that she was compromised, and let go of Akamaru. The dog ran to his owner.

‟Hey, Kiba. What's up? ˮ, she said casually, trying to get out of the awkward situation.

‟What's up with you? ˮ, he asked her, putting Akamaru in his jacket.

‟I decided to take a walk, since yesterday's training was… well, you know what happened. And then Akamaru just came in here and then you came and that's all I guess. ˮ The usually confident girl couldn't put two thoughts together _. Kuso!_ , she thought to herself. _What is wrong with me?!_

‟Ah ok ˮ, said Kiba, sounding skeptical. ‟Akamaru and I were just training and decided to do a hide and seek game to work on our sense of smell. It helps track down enemies and allies in battle ˮ, he explained. He started approaching her, and Mayou suddenly felt very tense. Her hands became sweaty and her heart was beating faster. He stopped right in front of her. Since she was sitting, she had to look up at him.

‟I can actually hear your heart beating really fast ˮ, said the Inuzuka. He kneeled down so he was no longer towering over Mayou.

‟What are you talking about? ˮ, she said trying to sound indifferent. ‟I'm perfectly fine ˮ.

In an instant, Kiba's face was centimeters away from Mayou's face. She backed away instantly, wide eyed.

‟I knew it! ˮ, Kiba exclaimed. ‟It's me that is making you act this way ˮ.

Mayou clenched her fists. Even if she was attracted to Kiba, his little stunt got her fuming. She restrained herself from punching out a third Konoha Genin and resorted to laughing instead.

‟Stop being so full of yourself. I told you I disliked animals. Akamaru jumped on my lap, so it got me tense. I wasn't going to throw him off. ˮ, she said hoping her lie was convincing enough. Thankfully, Kiba seemed to buy into her act.

‟You should get back to training. Unlike me who is just a guest in Konoha, you're an actual ninja ˮ, she smirked. Akamaru barked and Kiba retreated.

 _Kuso! I sure dodged a kunai,_ thought Mayou. She headed back to Konoha before she could get in any other uncomfortable situation.


	12. The Fight

Mayou headed towards Lee's dojo fully energized. Resting for a day was a great idea. After being checked by Tsunade, the Hokage allowed Mayou to train. Her arm and ribs were almost healed, but she still couldn't punch with her left side. Tsunade also told Mayou that she no longer needed a supervisor. Mayou understood what would happen if she exerted herself beyond her capacities.

The girl ran through the doors and smiled when she saw Lee standing inside.

‟Lee-san! ˮ, she exclaimed. ‟Are you here to train? ˮ, she asked, hopeful.

‟Hai! I don't have a mission today, so I thought I'd come join you for training. Is that ok? ˮ, Lee made sure with his friend.

‟Let's not waste time, I'm ready to go! ˮ, excitedly answered Mayou.

The pair both used targets to practice their punches and kicks for about an hour. During that time, Gai had come in to check on Lee and decided to stay to fully assess Mayou's skill. He noted that her technique wasn't perfect, but her speed and strength were quite impressive for a self-taught taijutsu user. After a while, Gai had an idea.

‟Stop! ˮ, he yelled out. The two ceased what they were doing and looked towards Gai.

‟What's wrong, Gai-sensei? ˮ, questioned Lee.

‟Don't worry, Lee. Nothing is wrong. I just had an idea. Why don't you two try to fight each other? ˮ, suggested the Jonin.

‟Nani?! But Gai-sensei, I don't want to hurt Mayou-sanˮ, said Lee.

‟It's solely for training, and I'm here to supervise the fight ˮ, Gai responded. ‟Mayou-san, are you ok with that? ˮ asked the sensei.

The girl was already in fighting stance, with a determined look in her eye. ‟I have to see if I can hit a moving target ˮ, Mayou answered. ‟Lee, are you ready? ˮ.

The genin also positioned himself, ready to fight. ‟Hai! ˮ, he cried out.

Mayou lunged forward first. She aimed at Lee with her right fist, but when she got close enough, he dodged her attack. Lee lowered himself and sweeped at Mayou's feet with his left leg. The girl fell backwards. The boy took a chance at started towards her, but his gut met with her right foot. Lee stumbled backwards from the kick's impact, and Mayou took that time to get back up.

‟That's right Mayou! ˮ Gai encouraged her. Lee looked towards his sensei, surprised that he wasn't rooting for him. Mayou saw that he was distracted and hooked kicked him in his left side using her right leg. Gai laughed.

‟You're a tougher opponent than I thought, Mayou-san ˮ, Lee said between breaths. The girl just grinned, not letting her guard down.

Lee went at her with a double punch to her face, but Mayou blocked both attacks with her forearms. As she did that, Lee managed to kick her right side, being cautious of her already injured left.

‟Kuso! ˮ, she grunted at the impact. _He's not going easy on me,_ she thought. She started feeling warmth build up in her chest, and took it as a rush of adrenaline. Lee rushed towards her and she put out both her palms, intending to push him back.

When Lee came into contact with her hands, he was projected backwards at high speed. A sudden burst of purple-coloured chakra emerged from Mayou's palms. Lee hit the wall and fell on the floor, groaning.

‟Lee! ˮ, Gai called out, rushing towards him.

‟Lee-san ˮ, Mayou exclaimed. She started towards her friend but Gai motioned her not to come closer. Her hands were still emitting an intense flow of chakra. Mayou looked towards Lee. He was still lying motionless on the floor next to the wall he hit. Mayou ran outside the dojo. Gai called after her, but she didn't turn back.

The terrified girl didn't know what to do. She wasn't controlling the chakra flow, and she was scared of hurting anyone else who would come near her. She looked up and saw Neji running towards her.

‟Neji! Don't come here. I don't know what's happening ˮ, she cried out. She was keeping her hands away from her body, extended in front of her. The Hyuuga stopped running and stood a few feet from her stretched out hands.

‟Byakugan ˮ, Neji said positioning his hands to activate his ability. Mayou saw his pale violet eyes turn white. He looked her over for a bit and his eyes then returned to normal.

‟Your chakra is activated for defense purposes. What were you doing just before this chakra flow happened ˮ, Neji asked.

‟I was training with Lee. We were fighting ˮ, Mayou answered. After she said that, Neji stood behind her and placed both his hands on her shoulders. She could feel his breath on her neck. He leaned closer to her left ear.

‟Just calm down and breathe ˮ, he told her. Mayou closed her eyes and focused on her breathes. After a few minutes, she felt Neji's hands get off her shoulders. She opened her eyes and saw that the chakra flow had stopped. She turned to face the Hyuuga. Without hesitation, she reached over and hugged him.

‟Arigato, Neji-kun ˮ, Mayou said.

At that moment, Gai emerged from the dojo, with Lee leaning on him for support. Mayou stopped hugging Neji. The student and teacher approached them, but didn't get to close to Mayou.

‟I was able to help her stop the chakra, sensei ˮ, Neji told Gai.

‟Good work, Neji ˮ, Gai told his student, then turned towards the girl. ‟Mayou-san, I have to get Lee to the hospital to see if everything is alright. The impact was… impactful ˮ, Gai said, trying to lighten the mood.

Neji grunted, in his opinion, his sensei had a problem with making puns at inappropriate moments.

Mayou didn't get the chance to say much. Gai picked up his beloved pupil, and left.

‟I guess I'll head to my apartment ˮ, Mayou told Neji, who hadn't disappeared on her.

‟I'll walk you back ˮ, said the Hyuuga.

They walked together silently. Mayou wasn't in the mood to talk at that moment, and Neji understood. It had been a while since he had even thought of the girl. He remembered their last conversation, when he told her she had incredible chakra potential, and where it came from. It wasn't even active at the time, and he could tell how powerful it was. Now, he got to see it in action. He was nearby when he sensed a sudden burst of power. He wasn't surprised when he saw that it came from Mayou. He couldn't help but be fascinated by the girl. Not being raised in a shinobi village, she had no idea how to control her chakra.

After making sure Mayou was home safe, Neji walked away from her apartment. He hoped for her sake, and for others, that she would take Tsunade's offer. This level of power couldn't be left un-tamed for long without problems occurring.


	13. Tears, Rain, and a Decision

Mayou was sitting on her bed, feeling completely drained. She needed to settle down after what had just happened. She looked at her palms, which were now completely normal looking. It seemed crazy to her that just a few moments ago, some strange energy was coming out of them. When it came to using chakra, Mayou was clueless. The thought that her power could hurt people made her cringe.

She recalled seeing Lee being projected against a wall brutally, all against her will. She felt suddenly very sad. _I'm just a burden. I either inconvenience others, or hurt them,_ she thought.

Mayou's childhood in her home village left an unhealable mark inside her. The villagers tried to take care of her, but they were impoverished and she was just a strain on them. When she was old enough to understand that her existence was the cause of other's suffering, she left and decided to live on her own. Being surrounded by people brought back her feelings of guilt.

Tears started to blur her vision. Mayou wiped them away, but more came flowing down her cheeks. She placed her head on her pillow. Lying in bed, Mayou eventually fell asleep. The girl was exhausted, and a nap would do her good.

Mayou woke up to repetitive knocking sounds. After being dazed for a few seconds, she realized someone was at her door. She looked outside her window and saw that it was almost sundown. It was hard to tell exactly what time because the sky was covered in grey clouds. She got up and opened the door.

‟Lee-san ˮ, she declared when she saw her friend standing there.

‟Can I come in? ˮ, he asked. Mayou nodded and he stepped inside. Mayou closed the door and sat back down on her bed. Lee joined her.

‟I'm so sorry ˮ, Mayou started.

‟I'm fine ˮ, Lee said. ‟The medical ninjas said I have no damage. You are a great opponent Mayou-san ˮ. Hearing that, Mayou felt relieved.

‟But I wasn't even controlling that attack ˮ, Mayou stated.

‟That's why you will accept Tsunade's offer ˮ, Lee told her. ‟If you train to control your chakra, you'll be incredible during a real fight ˮ. As he talked, he placed his hand down on Mayou's pillow. He felt that the fabric was wet, and looked towards his friend.

‟Were you crying, Mayou-san? ˮ, Lee asked her.

‟I'm fine now ˮ, Mayou answered, looking away.

‟Nande? ˮ, Lee insisted. Mayou was feeling the tears come again. She didn't want to cry in front of Lee, but it was hard to stop the tears from gushing out.

‟All my life I've only been a liability. The people in my village grew poor trying to keep me alive, and I gave them nothing in return. Konoha opened its doors to me, and all I did was hurt their people ˮ, she let out between sobs.

Lee sat there in silence. He didn't know what to say to reassure his friend. Outside, rain started falling. After a few seconds, thunder could be heard over the village, followed by flashes of lighting.

At the sound of thunder, Mayou flinched and covered her ears.

‟Don't worry Mayou-san, you're safe inside ˮ, Lee tried to calm her. Lighting flashed again, and Mayou breathed heavily, her hands trembling. Lee didn't realize it, but she had developed anxiety about storms, after she almost died in one.

The genin decided he had to do something to comfort her. Her reached over and wrapped his arms around her shaking body. Mayou put her face in his shoulder, and stayed there. Lee could hear her sobbing, and held her tighter.

The storm lasted all night, and only stopped at the break of dawn.

When Lee woke up, he didn't recognize his surroundings. He sat up and saw Mayou lying next to him. He then remembered that he had to stay with her until she was ok. She had fallen asleep late at night, and Lee was too tired to go home. He stood , trying not to wake Mayou up, but she opened her eyes.

‟Lee-san ˮ, Mayou said, seeing him.

‟Gomenasai, Mayou-san. I fell asleep. I didn't know. I'll leave now ˮ, he managed to blurt out. He was really embarrassed. He didn't want her to get the wrong idea.

‟Thanks for staying with me ˮ, she said, to Lee's surprise and relief.

‟At least stay for breakfast ˮ, she told him.

The pair ate and then Lee had to leave because Gai expected him for training. Mayou wished him luck and let him go.

Mayou felt the opposite of how she was the night before. Instead of sadness, she was filled with warmth. For the first time in a long while, Mayou felt like someone cared about her. She crossed her arms over her chest and placed each hand on her shoulders. She remembered how Lee held her when she was crying and trembling. It did help her, and she was able to fall asleep, feeling safe.

Before, Mayou only lived for herself. She practised taijutsu for her own protection. There was no one else there to save her if she ever was danger. Now, everything had changed.

The first time she met Tsunade, the woman told Mayou that the villagers of Konoha were like a big family. Mayou understood that now. She was undecided on accepting the Hokage's offer because she feared that she wouldn't belong amongst the people of Konoha. Mayou felt differently now. She knew that she was accepted by one person from the village. Lee cared about her, and made her feel like she deserved all that Konoha offered her.

Mayou headed towards the Hokage's house. When she approached, she was stopped by ninjas guarding the entrance.

‟Tell Tsunade-sama that Mayou would like to speak to her ˮ, she said. These shinobi were wary of Mayou, probably not being familiar with her presence in the village. However, they did listen to her request. One of them headed inside and returned a few minutes later, followed by Shizune.

‟Tsunade-sama will see you now, Mayou-san ˮ, Shizune told the girl. The ninja that were blocking Mayou's path let the girl through. Mayou followed Shizune inside.

The black haired jonin led Mayou to Tsunade's office. When Mayou entered, a pig rushed towards her and snorted.

‟It's ok, Tonton ˮ, declared the Hokage, who was sitting at her office.

Shizune took the pig in her arms and left with it, closing the door behind her.

‟Good Morning, Mayou. You wanted to speak with me? ˮ, asked the Sannin, once she was alone with Mayou.

‟Hai ˮ, Mayou said.

‟Well, what is it? ˮ, questioned the Hokage.

‟I accept your offer ˮ, Mayou said, looking Tsunade right in the eyes.


	14. Arrangements

Mayou stood in front of Tsunade. For the first time, she felt like her life had a purpose. Mayou never would have thought that she'd become a ninja. Just a few short weeks ago, she despised shinobi. After living in the village and getting to know people from Konoha, she didn't want to be alone again.

‟I accept your offer ˮ, Mayou told the legendary Sannin.

‟Sou ka? ˮ, acknowledged Tsunade with a faint smile.

‟Hai. I promise I will not let you down. I will work hard and serve Konoha the best I can with my life ˮ, Mayou declared.

‟Mayou, from this moment, consider yourself a ninja in training! ˮ, announced Tsunade.

Mayou didn't have much time to take in the news. At that moment, both female turned around.

‟Nani?! ˮ, yelled a voice. Naruto barged into Tsunade's office.

‟This can't be right, Old Lady Tsunade. Mayou-san isn't even from the village. Did you just say she was going to be a Konoha ninja? ˮ, asked the blond Genin frantically.

‟Shut the hell up, Naruto! ˮ, Tsunade called out angrily. ‟This is none of your business. You can't just enter my office and tell me, the Hokage, what to do! ˮ

‟It is my business, Granny! I'm going to be the Hokage one day, and only Konoha citizens should be Konoha ninja! ˮ, argued Naruto.

Mayou was taking in the conversation. She didn't understand how this low rank ninja could talk to the village's top ninja like that. Furthermore, she did see Naruto's point. If he was so worked up over the news that she, an outsider, would be allowed to become a ninja in Konoha, how would others react? She remembered the other Genin she had met so far: Sakura, Neji, Ino, Tenten, Kiba, Hinata. Would they accept her as one of their own? Suddenly, Mayou wasn't so confident about the whole idea of accepting Tsunade's offer.

‟Mayou? ˮ, asked Tsunade, taking the girl away from her thoughts. ‟Would you leave me alone with Naruto for a few minutes? Please go wait outside. I'll come get you soon ˮ.

Mayou obeyed the Hokage and left her alone with Naruto. Once she was gone, Tsunade addressed the boy.

‟Listen, Naruto. I understand why you're upset, but do you know anything about Mayou personally? ˮ, asked the Sannin.

The boy looked pensive, and answered. ‟I guess not ˮ.

‟When Lee bought Mayou into the village, I had our ninja research her. I had to make sure she wasn't a spy for Orochimaru, or an enemy village. It was only after the search was complete and all doubts were nullified that I decided to heal her. When I did, I noticed she had amazing Chakra potential. Thanks to Neji, we were able to find out more about her Chakra's origin. Mayou is an orphan. Her own village rejected her because they weren't wealthy enough to take care of her. She's been on her own, moving around for years. Yet, she is skilled in taijutsu, a set of techniques she taught herself and almost mastered. In addition, her chakra is extremely powerful. Gai reported how she was able to win in a fight against Lee, without even controlling her movements that involved chakra. If she had full training, she'd make a fine and impressive ninja. When you become Hokage, wouldn't you want a shinobi like Mayou on your side? ˮ, Tsunade asked, after explaining.

Naruto thought before answering. After hearing that Mayou was alone and had been rejected by her village, he felt sorry for her. Naruto knew how it felt not to be accepted. His dream was to be the Hokage. He couldn't refuse Mayou after knowing what she'd been through. He immediately regretted his previous words.

‟Please, can I speak to Mayou? ˮ, he suddenly asked Tsunade. The Hokage nodded and went to get the girl.

One Mayou entered, Naruto went up to her. He put both hands on her shoulders, looked her in the eyes.

‟I swear, as Konoha's future Hokage, I won't let you be off on your own anymore. I will also make sure that everyone accepts you as a Konoha ninja! I'm sorry I doubted you before, it will never happen again. Leave it to me! ˮ, he told Mayou confidently.

‟Arigato, Naruto ˮ, Mayou said with a smile. Tsunade was also smiling to herself at her desk. The blond Genin left the office, leaving the Hokage alone with the new recruit.

‟Now that Naruto is involved, I don't think I need to send a notice about your enrollment ˮ, Tsuande joked. ‟I will have to arrange for one of our experienced ninja to be your sensei. Since you are too old for the academy, this will be a special operation. I know you've already got taijutsu down. Also, survival skills shouldn't be a problem for you either. You will need to learn ninjutsu, genjutsu, and other important information regarding Konoha, its allies, enemies, ninja ranks, and battle skills. Is that understood? ˮ, asked the Hokage.

‟Hai! ˮ, answered Mayou. After that, Tsunade dismissed the girl. She needed to figure out who would be ideal to train this newcomer. She thought for a bit and then called Shizune in her office.

When the black-haired Jonin entered, Tsunade ordered her to summon the ninja she had in mind. After a few minutes, Kakashi entered the Hokage's office.

‟Hatake Kakashi, I have a special request for you ˮ, Tsunade started off. The masked Jonin became intrigued.

‟I'm sure you are aware that Konoha has been hosting a young girl that Rock Lee found injured in the forest near here. Her name is Mayou. As it turns out, she is an orphan, with no tie to a village. In addition, she is a skilled taijutsu user with adequate survival skills. We discovered that she has tremendous chakra potential that has been left untamed. Until now, she hasn't had any personal contact with ninja, so she didn't even know about her chakra. I had offered her to become part of Konoha and to train and become a ninja under our supervision. She accepted. I need an experienced ninja who can be her sensei and teach her all she needs to be a proper shinobi. ˮ, explained Tsunade.

‟You want me to be Mayou's sensei? ˮ, Kakashi asked to clarify.

‟Hai. Do you accept? ˮ, questioned the Hokage.

‟Gomenasai, Hokage-sama, but I cannot accept ˮ, said Kakashi, to Tsunade's surprise.

‟Nani? ˮ, exclaimed the Sannin.

‟I'm already Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke's sensei ˮ, explained the masked jonin.

‟Naruto is going to train with Jiraiya, Sakura is training to be a medical ninja under my watch, and Sasuke is… ˮ. Tsunade didn't fully complete her sentence. The last remaining member of the Uchiha clan who had left the village was a touchy subject for many people. Kakashi, being his assigned sensei, was one of them. Tsunade didn't realise that the Jonin was attached to his pupils, even after his team was separated.

‟You're right ˮ, Tsunade said after rethinking her request. She could clearly see that the copy ninja wasn't ready to dedicate himself to another student. It was better for him to keep doing regular missions until things got settled.

‟I do have someone I could recommend, though ˮ, Kakashi declared.


	15. The End?

When Mayou exited the Hokage's house, she was met by a group of young ninja who had gathered near the entrance. Some she knew and others were unfamiliar to her. Naruto was at the center of the circle. _Tsunade wasn't kidding about him spreading the news,_ thought Mayou. She was immediately greeted by Sakura, who came to hug her.

‟I'm happy for you Mayou-san ˮ, said the pink haired girl.

Ino approached her next.

‟We can have a girl's night out, when neither of us are on missions ˮ, Ino told her.

Hinata, who was standing to the side, gave her a small smile. Kiba then came up to her.

‟Welcome to the team ˮ, he said. Akamaru gave Mayou his approval too. Kiba motioned towards the other ninja that Mayou didn't know.

‟This is Chouji, Shino, and Shikamaru ˮ, he said pointing to the three male ninjas.

Mayou waved at them and they all nodded in return. She noticed that Tenten and Neji were standing a bit to the side. The girl headed for Mayou.

‟I'm glad to hear you'll be one of us ˮ, she said. ‟Maybe we will get to go on a mission together one day ˮ.

‟Hai. Arigato, Tenten-san ˮ, Mayou told her.

After everyone has told her what they had to say, the group dispersed, and Mayou was left with Neji.

‟I'm happy you chose to stay with us ˮ, he told her once the area was clear of others.

‟I wanted to thank you for helping me. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be far away from here, destroying everything around me with my crazy chakra ˮ. Mayou smiled.

‟No problem ˮ, said the Hyuuga.

Mayou did grow fond of Neji, but her mind was elsewhere at that moment. So many people came to congratulate her, but the only person she cared about wasn't there.

‟Um. Would you happen to know where Lee is? ˮ, Mayou asked Neji.

Neji suddenly looked serious, but answered.

‟He was meeting Gai-sensei in his dojo for training. He should be there now ˮ. As soon as Neji said that, Mayou started running towards the building's direction.

A few minutes later, she arrived at her destination. The teacher and student were fighting each other. They moved so fast Mayou had difficulty distinguishing who was who, because of their identical outfit. She leaned against the door frame, not wanting to disturb them. It didn't take long until Lee noticed her.

‟Mayou-san! ˮ, he called out, turning away from Gai. The Jonin took the chance to get a good hit while his opponent had his guard down. Lee fell backwards and Gai cheered for his victory. Mayou laughed as she went to Lee and helped him up.

‟Gomenasai, Gai-sensei. I didn't want to disrupt your training, I just came to deliver some news to Lee ˮ, explained Mayou.

‟No problem. I had other business to attend to ˮ, said the Jonin. ‟But before I go, can I also hear the news? ˮ

‟Hai. I am just returning from Tsunade-sama's office. I have accepted her offer. From now on, I am considered a Konoha ninja in training ˮ, proudly announced Mayou.

‟This explosion of youth is so touching! ˮ, Gai exclaimed. He smiled at Mayou and left the dojo. The girl now understood better how Lee was after seeing his role model. They had such a strong bond for a teacher and pupil. She wondered how her relationship with her sensei would be.

‟Is it really true? ˮ, Lee asked. ‟You're here to stay? ˮ.

‟Hai ˮ, she answered.

‟Do you know who will be your teacher? ˮ, Lee wondered.

‟Not yet. Tsunade-sama still needs to make arrangements. I was thinking…Do you want to go train together for the last time before I'm officially going to be taught? I don't know if and when I'll have free time ˮ, Mayou declared.

‟Hai. The dojo is free ˮ, Lee replied.

‟Well, actually, I was thinking we could go somewhere else ˮ, Mayou said.

‟Oh. Where? ˮ, Lee asked. Mayou grabbed his hand and ran out of the dojo. She led him all the way to the village gate and once outside Konoha, ran into the forest. It became obvious to Lee where Mayou was headed.

Soon enough, the pair entered the clearing where they first met.

Lee hadn't been back since the storm and didn't realize how damaged the terrain was. Mayou started picking up fallen branches and Lee followed her lead. When the area was clear of twigs, they both moved the fallen log so they'd have room to move around. After they were done, Mayou sat of the tree stump.

‟No one in the village asked me about my name ˮ, Mayou said. ‟That's surprising to me. No one asked why my name means to lose one's way. I think it suits me, because for so long I was lost ˮ.

Lee listened to her, but didn't say anything. He wasn't used to her talking about personal things. Usually, they just practiced their taijutsu moves.

‟Gomen, I'm wasting some training time ˮ, Mayou apologised. ‟I came up with a great way to practice our reflexes. ˮ

She reached over to Lee and untied the forehead protector around his waist. Then she went behind him and tied it over his eyes.

‟Nanda? ˮ, Lee asked, confused.

‟I attack you while you're blindfolded and you try to block me by using your other senses. It's a way of training in taijutsu. When I was going around in other villages, I saw some ninja doing it. I think it looks fun and worth the try ˮ, explained the girl.

‟Oh. Ok. ˮ, Lee answered, unsure of this method. Mayou proceeded to guide him in the center of the open field, and Lee positioned himself in fighting stance.

The genin waited for a few seconds but didn't sense an attack coming. He was about to ask Mayou what she was doing when he felt something coming at him from the right. He raised his forearm and blocked the attack. _That was close. I have to really focus on my hearing for this exercise. I can't wait to show this to Gai-sensei,_ Lee thought. He didn't have time to think long, because he sensed an attack coming at his lower left. He jumped to the side and avoided the blow.

This exchange lasted for a bit, and Lee was getting tired. Not relying on his sight took a lot of energy. He was about to tell Mayou they should switch roles when he felt arms wrap around him.

Lee froze, not expecting a hug from Mayou in the middle of a fight.

He felt her hands reach for his forehead protector, and she pulled it off from over his eyes. When he opened them, Lee saw that Mayou was inches away from his face.

She slowly leaned in and placed her lips on his. Mayou's nose gently hit Lee's and she moved away, blushing. The boy drew her in closer, and returned the kiss. A light breeze was blowing over and Mayou's hair flew over her face. The adolescents were still holding each other when they pulled away.

‟Mayou…ˮ, Lee started, but his voice trailed off.

‟Lee, arigato. Thanks to you, I'm no longer lost. ˮ, Mayou said tenderly.

The sun was setting and night was coming over the Country of Fire. Mayou smiled to herself. She finally found a place where she felt at home.


End file.
